


It's Time

by StudioCapsicum



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, proposal, pure proposal fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StudioCapsicum/pseuds/StudioCapsicum
Summary: They've waited too long already.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Philinda_are_my_otp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philinda_are_my_otp/gifts).



> Thank you to the ever lovely tessdebelle for being my beta, and to Philinda_are_my_otp for the prompt :D

It started simply, he found himself eyeing the box his mother had left him. Sitting in his bedside drawer, it was unassuming next to the box of condoms, the broken watch and the stack of old Christmas cards he kept. A faded black, it was scuffed after so many years collecting dust. A sad metaphor for his life really, he had anticipated the ring seeing the light of day a lot earlier than this, but here he was, in his fifties and only now ready to look at it. 

The band was simple, not overly flashy. He had no idea how to describe it really, but he doubted she would either. The diamond was small, a remnant from his grandmother, but he could easily imagine it resting elegantly on her left hand. It was a strong juxtaposition against the bulky ring they used for undercover ops, which he’d always secretly hated. The Melinda he knew would never want a giant stone on her hand, she hated jewelry to begin with, and had voiced her complaints about their undercover rings many times.

He held the ring lightly in his hand, making up his mind. He was sick of waiting. They’d waited far too many years already. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

He was stalking through the halls, trying to find Daisy when Melinda grabbed his arm. She pulled him into her, crashing his lips to hers. Grinning at her in the low-lit corridor, he whispered, “What was that for?” 

“I have to escort Director Mace to functions for three days. I think that’s reason enough.” Phil groaned, trying to pretend he was upset at her recent assignment, when in reality, it would give him time to put together his proposal plans. Leaning down, he lost himself in her lips, giving her a premature goodbye as they broke apart, smiling sadly at each other from opposite ends of the hallway. 

Phil was attempting to hide his grin when he knocked on Daisy’s door, and despite her complaints of never having spare time, she suffered through his smile with a bored, “What do you want?” Pulling the box out of his pocket he placed it on the desk beside Daisy. 

“You’re proposing to her?” Daisy asked, eyes wide with shock.

“Yes.” He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when Daisy launched into his arms.

“About time,” She whispered fiercely, kissing him on the cheek as she pulled away, “How are you going to propose?” 

Phil cringed, “That’s why I’m here, asking you.”

Daisy’s face deadpanned, “You’re kidding, right? You’ve known her longer than I’ve been alive.” 

“Please?” Daisy resignedly pulled out her laptop, smiling quietly to herself as she asked Coulson countless questions about his and May’s early relationship.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

“So everything’s in place?” He asked nervously, the small box suddenly feeling heavy in his pocket. 

Daisy scoffed at him, “Calm down, she’s going to know something’s going on,” she was straightening his tie before cringing and loosening it, pulling it off. “She was right, you look better without it. Are you ready?” He palmed his hands on the side of his pants, taking a deep breath before going to meet her at the entrance to the base. 

He smiled at her as she walked towards him, she was easily the most beautiful person he’d ever met. She was only wearing leggings and a black tee, but the look in her eyes as she saw him took his breath away. She was grinning at him, a smile he’d recently had to acclimate to again, she grabbed onto his forearm and started dragging him down a hallway. Shocked, Phil couldn’t pinpoint where he was until they reached the garage. 

“I’m driving,” she called out to him, hopping into Lola and not leaving him much choice. 

“Did it ever occur to you that I had plans for tonight?” He teased, getting in without many qualms. She was the only other person he trusted driving Lola. 

“I don’t doubt it,” she replied, smirking. They shot out of the base, driving around the streets. Phil had no idea where they were headed, so he enjoyed the ride as the streets became less crowded and they started heading out of town. Driving along the coast, Phil was humming along to some of the jazz he had in the CD player when he realised where they were headed. 

“Lin, you’re such a romantic.” He looked over at her as his face lit up.

“I’m glad you remember it,” she smiled faintly, finally taking an exit that led towards the beach. She parked Lola, glad that they were the only people on the isolated strip of sand. “I wasn’t sure if you would.”

“I wasn’t that drunk,” he started defensively, before a withering glance from Melinda shut him up. 

The view from Lola was amazing, crimson hues combining with lilac skies, the sun a giant glowing orb lowering itself slowly into the ocean. The water was amazingly clear as the sun slowly sank on the horizon, and Phil couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment. This type of moment couldn’t be replicated in a plan he’d concocted at base. 

He was reaching into his pocket when Melinda broke the few seconds of silence, “Phil, open the glove box.” She had turned in her seat and was watching his every move. 

“First, can I just,” He trailed off as her eyes narrowed. 

“If you’re about to do what I think you’re about to do, I’m going to be mad.” 

Phil suddenly looked affronted, “Wait, you’re not doing it too, are you?” his mouth parted in shock. “But I want to do it!” 

“I’m doing it,” she stated matter of factly. “You took part in my planned evening so I win. Open the glove box,” she all but ordered as he pouted. 

It was a book; his favourite book. The one he hadn’t stopped reading for three years when he first met her. He’d carried a copy around everywhere he went, pulling it out for every quiet moment he’d had. “Catch-22,” he said quietly, “you remembered.” 

“Open it.” His chest was feeling tight when he slowly opened the cover. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t cry, so he held it in as he saw the simple band of silver resting in a small hole that had been cut out from the pages. “Melinda,” he choked out, staring across at her lovingly as the book sat in his lap. Reaching across, she took the ring, and slid it onto his finger. 

“I assume that’s a yes?” She asked, smiling gently as he rested his forehead on hers, not able to hold in a snort of laughter. 

“Of course it’s a yes.” He brought both his hands up to her cheeks, holding her head as he kissed her, pouring all the emotion he was feeling into the kiss. “I love you,” he whispered, pressing his lips lightly against her nose. “But I’m still proposing when we get home.” 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

They walked hand in hand into the base, coming across no one, they felt totally secluded for once. “Did you have Daisy lock everyone in their rooms?” Melinda asked as they rounded another corner with sight of any personnel in the base. 

“Maybe,” Phil grinned as he opened a door, his hand in the small of her back as he pushed her ahead of him. He held her hand as they went deeper into the base, and as Melinda started wondering how many more rooms the base had, they reached a door that opened out into the night. “I know it’s not perfect, but,” Melinda cut him off with a kiss. 

Specks of silver light reflected off the ice, which seemed to stretch on forever. The night sky was endless from where they stood, it was both the ground and the ocean of space above them. The evening was perfect, no clouds in the sky to obscure the stars, only the moon which cast a bright glow over them. 

Indicating over to a pair of skates, Phil started telling a story as she pulled them on. 

“Remember at the Academy, when you took us all out after classes to show us what you did in your spare time? We were all expecting you to take us to the gym, or to a tai chi class, but instead you took us ice-skating. I assumed it was because you wanted to see us all fall over, but as soon as you got on the ice, you looked at home. I know you stopped because the ice hurt when you fell, but Lin, I’m here to catch you now.” He pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it, “Wo ai ni,” he whispered as he slid it onto her finger. 

Melinda recognised the ring immediately, he’d shown it to her back at the academy, when she was dating Andrew. It was his grandmother's ring, handed down to him through his mother, and he’d coveted it for years, keeping it safely hidden through every change and relocation that S.H.I.E.L.D had gone through over the years. 

She took a deep breath as she looked at the sheer depth of the love in his eyes. They’d waited far too long, and she was ready to fall with him. It shouldn’t have surprised her how much she trusted this man, the one who had seen her at her best and worst, and had loved her through it. 

“I even called your mom,” Melinda winced, waiting for the worst, “and she’s stopped calling me Phillip J. Coulson.” He grinned proudly, “I’m now Phil. She also said, ‘about time’, and then hung up on me,” Melinda was smiling broadly, pulling him down for a kiss. 

“Wo ai ni, Phillip J. Coulson.” She grinned before stepping out onto the ice. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she glided around the ice, dark hair streaming after her, and he wondered what had taken them so long to get here.


End file.
